DL Exclusive: Hundreds of Politicians/PACs in Violation of State Campaign Finance Law. Nobody’s Collecting the Fines.

DL Exclusive: Hundreds of Politicians/PACs in Violation of State Campaign Finance Law. Nobody’s Collecting the Fines.

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Deadbeat campaigns, committees and PAC's currently owe the Delaware Department of Elections (long pause to change the batteries in my calculator)...$769,240.  I count 258 individual fines that have been assessed, but never collected. Some of the outstanding fines are gargantuan.  Some appear to have close correlation to key political events, so the committees involved not only owe the money, they have some 'splainin' to do. Since the largest fines have been imposed on the Sussex County Democratic Executive Committee, and since they date back to the year (2008) when an incredible array of resources were poured into the race to elect John Atkins to the General Assembly, possibly cementing a D majority in the House, and since not a nickel has been paid back, I can only ask, "Why?".  Why no action? (Late-breaking news: According to both the Commissioner of Elections and the current Sussex County chair, that $160,000-plus fine has now been labeled an 'error'.  Because, as we all know, $160,000 fines are levied in error every day. Where is Rose Mary Woods when we need her?) Here's how the system is supposed to work, according to sources both within the State Department of Elections and the Office of the Attorney General.  After about 60 days or so, uncollected fines/violations are turned over to the Attorney General's office for follow-up, according to Elaine Manlove, Commissioner of Elections.  It is clear that little to no follow-up has occurred since, well, 2008, at least.  Multiple sources have told me that they have not even received any notification from the AG's office that they are in violation. Not that they shouldn't already know, but still... Here's what Carl Kanefsky of the AG's office says of the way it's supposed to work....
Kudos to Senator Carper, for once.

Kudos to Senator Carper, for once.

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Today a foreign leader will interfere in the political affairs of the United States, and Senator Tom Carper has decided that he will not be part of it, thank you very much.
Sen. Tom Carper of Delaware will join about 40 Democrats in boycotting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s controversial speech to Congress on Tuesday. Carper called the timing of Netanyahu’s speech “wholly inappropriate,” given that the prime minister is up for re-election in two weeks. He and the other Democrats say House Speaker John Boehner broke protocol by inviting Netanyahu without consulting with the White House. “I cannot imagine an occasion when a U.S. president would invite a foreign leader — even one from some of our closest allies like France, Germany or Canada — to address Congress on the eve of elections in his or her home country,” Carper said in a statement. “Furthermore, this visit came together by completely bypassing President Obama and his administration, which breaks our country’s protocol for visiting heads of state and stands to weaken U.S.-Israel relations.”
I was afraid the good Senator was just going to leave his list of reasons at that, and granted, they are good reasons. But the truest reason to be angry about that bastard Netanyahu's speech has everything to do with the fact that he wants to scuttle any possible deal with Iran and he wants the United States to send more of our American children to die in defense of Israel in an invasion of Iran. And to his credit, Carper says that such direct interference into the foreign policy of the United States is one of his reasons. What about Carney and Coons?
Reverend Kilroy Delivers A Sunday Sermon

Reverend Kilroy Delivers A Sunday Sermon

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Last week my phone started ringing and emails/texts poured in. Almost everyone began with: "Have you heard?" Why no, no I hadn't heard. Today Kilroy puts up a post addressing what's going on. Go read the post.
Those who sit at the right and left hand of the Red Clay God (Merv) better take a hard look in the mirror. Though school superintendents make many request for school board approval it is the school board who makes the final approval with no veto power on the super’s part. In the big picture the super’s failures are the board’s failures. [...] I am dishearten to hear (rumor of course) some board members want to throw Merv overboard midstream (before the end of his contract). Those who think Merv may be the problem are just as much the problem.
Yes Red Clay. No Christina. So What’s Next?

Yes Red Clay. No Christina. So What’s Next?

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Residents in the Red Clay School District approved a measure that would raise taxes .35 cents per $100 of assessed property value over three years to cover increased operating expenses in their budget and provide for improvements in technology, curriculum and student services (the actual cost to the average homeowner in Red Clay once the measure is fully phased in would be $280 per year). Residents in the Christina School District had two options to chose from, and they said no to both. The first option was a bare bones measure to just "keep the lights on," and it would have raised taxes .65 cents per $100 of assessed property value phased in over three years. Only 26% of Christina residents voted yes to that. The second option would have raised taxes an additional .40 cents per $100 of assessed property value phased in over four years (so a total of $1.05 per $100), with the additional funds to pay for improvements in technology, arts, and early childhood learning. Only 22% voted yes. So what's next?